10 Apr 2012

Green Gold ... Perfect Summer Cooler

Summer is well on its way and I can already sense its presence. There is a dramatic change in the air because of the rising temperatures and bright sunlight. Most of us find it difficult to adjust to the changing weather and usually end up with some ailment or the other.

We feel thirsty all the time and our throats becomes parched and our skin does an overtime to keep us cool. The end result....dehydration.

Believe me, it is not a happy feeling...:(

I am sure most of you are on your way preparing various juices, smoothies, squashes and salads to beat the heat. Most often they are made of single or double cream, fruits, veggies, ice creams etc.

The real secret lies in the addition of medicinal herbs to our daily diet which takes care of our system from the inside. Not many of us will say yes to some weird looking, savoury curry tasting liquid which has a touch of harsh flavour or bitterness to it.

There is an easy way out to have your cake and eat it too...

Green Gold has all the goodness in the liquid form which promises sweet flavours and refreshing sense of cleanliness .... all extracted out of simple household herbs.

Betel leaf, mint and coriander are all familiar names and I am sure most of us know the medicinal values of each of these leaves.

The real secret lies in the addition of "Palm Sugar Crystals" also known as "PanangKalkandu" in Tamil. It is made from sugar sap from the Palmyra Palm and has a very distinct sweet flavour.

The palm sugar candy has a low GI unlike the common refined sugar and very rich in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B complex and iron. It also has a cooling effect on the body, heals throat and lung infections, strengthens the bones and supplies the essential iron needed to produce and maintain healthy red cells in the blood.

I think it is time to revert back to "good old traditional" ways of maintaining a healthy body and mind by adding and subtracting a few ingredients from our daily diet.

This drink has the distinct strong flavour of the betel leaves with the minty freshness and mellow sweetness of the coriander as undertones.

1.Wash the leaves and chop them finely. Add half the water from the 200 mls and grind it to a smooth paste.
2.Add the remaining water and whiz again.
3.Strain the resulting green juice and reserve.
4.Take the palm sugar crystals in a bowl and pour the warm water[200 mls] over the sugar crystals.
5.Keep it aside for 10 mins and then stir gently until all the sugar crystals has melted.
6.Strain and add it to the juice extracted from the leaves along with the tender coconut water.
7.Mix well and refrigerate until serving time.

Note: This juice is best when served with in 1/2 hour of preparing it. Keeping the juice at room temperature for a long time will change the flavour of the drink to an unpleasant one.

Keep the tender coconut water refrigerated until mixing. The amount of sugar given for this recipe will impart a mild sweetness to the drink but if you wish to have a sweet drink, increase the amount of sugar to 9-10 tbsp.

You can use either one of the three herbs or a combination of either two varieties or vary the proportions of each of the herb.

This is a very refreshing recipe Reva.Thanks for it.In fact,I was wondering while reading you what are the special ingredients in this drink.To my real surprise,adding betel leaves came..Truly that I haven't tasted yet..So couldn't guess the flavor.I would love to try.Thanks.